Moises Munoz had a nice career as a goalkeeper in Mexico’s top soccer league, playing for his hometown Morelia Monarchs and being part of its only championship. He had a few call-ups to the national team scattered through the mid-2000s and was among the final cuts for Ricardo La Volpe’s World Cup roster in 2006.

But he hadn’t been with El Tri since a friendly against Ecuador 2008, and he sat on the bench that night. He was in his 30s now. Three, four, five other keepers had larger blips on El Tri’s radar.

And if that didn’t convince you that his dream of playing in a World Cup had slipped over the horizon, there was what happened on June 3, 2012. He rolled the family minivan on slick highway between Mexico City and Guadalajara with his wife and two young sons in it. The initial reports were that he suffered a cracked skull and accompanying head trauma so severe that he might never play again.

So what was Munoz doing at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday, smiling, beaming, answering questions about how he is suddenly Mexico’s starting goalkeeper for Wednesday night’s friendly against Finland and, perhaps, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?

“That’s how life is, actually, and also soccer,” Munoz said. “I’m really glad to be here. It’s been quite a ride.”

Literally. Figuratively. Nearly tragically.

His is the type of uplifting story that El Tri just might need at this point, an injection of inspiration after months of uninspiring performances put Mexico’s most sacred institution on the brink of World Cup elimination. A year ago – shoot, three weeks ago – Munoz was an afterthought to feature in the 2014 World Cup; now he is expected to start in the last-chance playoff against New Zealand next month for a final ticket to Brazil.

“He is an example for us,” veteran defender Rafael Marquez said. “I tell you, he worked a lot to be here.”

“He’s a goalkeeper who is tall and good in the air,” said Ricardo Pelaez, the new director of Mexico’s national team. “But it’s not only his technical skills. It’s the story that’s behind him that can help us push this national team.”

Munoz speaks flawless English because, few people know, he spent a chunk of his formative years in Northern California, attending elementary school and junior high in Redwood City as an undocumented child of migrant workers. He does not have dual citizenship, but his parents have U.S. resident status and live in San Jose.

He returned to Mexico before high school and by age 19 was playing for his hometown club in Morelia. After 11 seasons he was traded to Atlante, where his coach was Miguel “El Piojo” Herrera, a fiery, eccentric defender who was on the fringes of the national team before his World Cup dream was extinguished.

Herrera left the following year for Club America, Mexico’s richest team. One of his first acquisitions: Munoz.

Six months later, Munoz was upside down in his Honda Odyssey.

Herrera was in Cancun at the time, to restock America’s roster at the annual Mexican player draft. Munoz called him shortly before being airlifted to a second hospital to tell him that the early reports were inaccurate, that he and his family had survived relatively unscathed, that his most serious injury was a broken finger.

“I will recover,” Munoz told Herrera. “Wait on me, Miguel.”

And he did, resisting the temptation to sign a high-profile replacement. Munoz received medical clearance a few months later and fully repaid Herrera’s faith just days before the one-year anniversary of the accident with a half-hour of soccer that forever is chisled in Mexican soccer lore.

America was seconds from losing the Liga MX Clausura final to Cruz Azul when Munoz left his goal for an injury-time corner kick and headed in the equalizer that forced overtime and, ultimately, a penalty shootout. He saved the first PK, and America won its 11th league title.

“Never lose the faith,” Munoz told reporters afterward, arms around his wife and sons. “I’ve never cried so much. God let me live for this moment. He allowed me to continue my career to live this moment.”

Munoz was rewarded with a call-up by Jose Manuel de la Torre for the Gold Cup last July, but merely as a backup. He never played.

Then de la Torre was fired. Then Francisco Tena was fired. Then Victor Manuel Vucetich was fired.

Herrera was the emergency replacement for tonight’s friendly against Finland and the two-leg playoff against New Zealand on Nov. 13 and 20 – and, if all goes well, for the World Cup as well. Herrera came with one condition: that he could use the majority of his first-place America starters and implement his 5-3-2 system, which requires a keen understanding between the goalkeeper and back line.

“I really didn’t really think my career was over,” Munoz said. “I was thinking positively. I was thinking about coming back stronger than before. I really did work hard in my recovery. When I came back, I think I was in a better moment than before the accident. I’m always thinking positive, and that’s what has brought me here.

“I knew if Miguel was coming to the national team I had a very good opportunity to be in the team ... This is the chance I’ve been waiting for.”

Mexico vs. Finland

What: International soccer friendly and Mexico’s last major tune-up before the last-chance World Cup playoff against New Zealand on Nov. 13 and 20.

Where: Qualcomm Stadium

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.

TV: ESPN2, UniMas, Televisa, TV Azteca.

Tickets: Start at $25. A crowd of about 25,000 is expected.

Mexico outlook: Miguel Herrera, El Tri’s fourth coach in five games, brings a roster that includes 10 players from his Club America team. His starting 11 has seven from America, three from Leon and one from Santos Laguna: goalkeeper Moises Munoz; defenders Miguel Layun, Rafael Marquez, Francisco Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Valenzuela and Paul Aguilar; midfielders Carlos Pena, Juan Carlos Medina and Luis Montes; forward Oribe Peralta and Raul Jimenez. One America player you won’t see in a green jersey is Rubens Sambueza, the Argentine-born midfielder who recently received Mexican citizenship but reportedly was not cleared by FIFA to switch soccer nationalities.

Finland outlook: The Finns were secured as an opponent long before Mexico was thrust into the two-leg playoff against New Zealand, but it works out well. Finland plays a similar long-ball, aerial style as the Kiwis and, in Herrera’s estimation, should be the perfect preparation. Because it is not an official FIFA international date, where foreign clubs are required to release players, Finland’s roster is exclusively from its domestic league. Finland had the bad fortune of drawing into Europe Group I in World Cup qualifying with Spain and France. Only two teams could advance, and Finland finished third despite an impressive 1-1 draw at Spain last March.